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The Chicago Cubs entered this off-season with the expectation of making the transition from being a good team in 2023 to being a great team in 2024 and the team wasted no time in starting their efforts.
In a shocking move on Monday, the Cubs have hired manager Craig Counsell away from the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Chicago Cubs are hiring Craig Counsell as their manager, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 6, 2023
A blockbuster move for Chicago, which had David Ross as their manager but will now go with Counsell, who had spent the previous decade with their division rival Milwaukee. @Ken_Rosenthal was on it.
As we have written about over the course of the past month, Counsell had arguably been the biggest free agent in all of Major League Baseball as he is widely believed to be the best manager in the. The expectation was that Counsell would leave the Brewers for a lucrative offer from the New York Mets but on Monday morning, it was reported that the team was hiring Carlos Mendoza as their manager.
With the Mets hiring Mendoza, there was an expectation that Counsell would be headed back to the Brewers. Instead, the Cubs shocked Major League Baseball by stealing him away from their National League Central rival.
In a repeat of what occurred for the Cubs after the 2014 season, the team has replaced their incumbent manager when there was a shift in expectations. The Cubs fired Ricky Renteria after the 2014 season in favor of Joe Maddon and David Ross will now be mentioned in the same category as Renteria in terms of a manager that led the Cubs to the brink of contention before being replaced.
The 2023 season marked the season of Ross' tenure where there was some degree of expectation that the Cubs should contend. That expectation was confirmed at the Major League Baseball trade deadline when the Cubs acquired Jeimer Candelario and Jose Cuas in moves that showed their intent to return to the postseason for the first time since 2020.
Despite the Cubs having a near-90 percent chance of making the post-season at the start of September, the team missed the post-season and there was blame that was placed at Ross' feet.
The Cubs deserve credit for the move that they made on Monday. The Cubs had a weakness in the managerial position and the team went out and hired arguably the best manager in baseball. Credit to the Cubs for taking no half-measures with their first move of the off-season.
The Cubs proved they're on the path to contention this past season, and this could be just the first of many moves this offseason. You can back your Cubs -- or boost your bankroll this fall -- with EASE thanks to BetMGM Sportsbook! Just sign up with the link below and place your first bet of $10 or more on any wager. You'll immediately win $200 in bonus bets that you can use on Cubs futures bets or anything else!